Leadership Team

Clergy

Cantor Samuel B. Radwine

Spiritual Leadership

Cantor Sam Radwine was born and raised in Taylorville, Illinois and grew up in the Springfield, IL Jewish community, where he was President of his Temple Youth Group. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where he majored in Instrumental Music Education, or what we refer to today as a “band geek!” After several years in public school music education, he attended the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, School of Sacred Music, in New York City, where he was ordained in 1981. After a student pulpit in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, he served the United Jewish Center of Danbury, CT, as Cantor and Director of Education. Cantor Radwine came to California in 1986 where he served Congregation Ner Tamid of Rancho Palos Verdes until 2012, and continues as Cantor Emeritus. Additonally, he has served on the faculty of Hebrew Union College/Los Angeles, and continues on the faculty of the Cantorial and Rabbinical Schools of the Academy for Jewish Religion/California. Cantor Radwine will be continuing his teaching at the AJR/CA, in their new hybrid non-residency programs for Rabbinic and Cantorial studies. In 2009, Cantor Radwine and Wade Sisco were married on the bimah of their Conservative Synagogue. Wade is a native of Rogers and is the Director of Marketing for United Industries-Ultraboard of Bentonville. They are the proud parents of Stewie and Brian, two very active pugs.

Leadership Team

Jodi Prohofsky

President

Jodi is a health care professional who moved to Bentonville Arkansas to work with Walmart Stores Inc after after a 25 year career in Health Insurance. She has recently joined the Board of CEC and has been co-president of the CEC Sisterhood for the past few years. She and her husband Rick have a son, Ian who is currently in the CEC Religious School. The family enjoys hiking, music, gardening and exploring all the treasures that NWA has to offer.

Dawn Bachman

Immediate Past President and Secretary

Dawn has lived in NWA for almost 20 years and is a wife and mother of two girls. She is a founding member of Congregation Etz Chaim and has been actively engaged with the development and success of the congregation since its inception in August 2004. Dawn has held various leadership roles from Religious School Teacher, Treasurer and President. She is an active member of the community, also serving on the State Board of Junior Achievement of Arkansas. She has over 15 years of experience in finance, accounting, and auditing for retail consumer products companies and is a Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Global Management Accountant.

Lee Rudofsky

Vice President

Susan Abrahams

Treasurer

Helene Carter

Religious School Director & Director at Large

My name is Helene Carter, and I have been a member of CEC for almost ten years. I am originally from Sharon, MA but moved to Arkansas (Ft. Smith before NWA) when I married Matthew (an Arkansan). I have been on the board, directed religious school, and have taught during the past 7/8 years. I will be directing religious school this fall. I am mother of five: Rachel, Emma, Evan, Nathaniel & Luke, ranging from 7-16. I am also a contracting speech pathologist. Fun fact: I played 3 sports in high school, ran in college & love to workout regularly. I equally love chocolate. Matthew, my better half, is an attorney, who has been working in-house for Walmart.